Guardian children's fiction prize 2008 | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/guardian-children-s-fiction-prize-2008
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Julia Eccleshare celebrates The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Nesshttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/27/booksforchildrenandteenagers
Julia Eccleshare celebrates The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness<p>Patrick Ness buzzes with the same kind of energy as the novel that this week won him the 2008 Guardian children's fiction prize. The Knife of Never Letting Go, his first children's book, is the story of Todd, the only boy in a community of men, who has to flee his home after he discovers a girl in the crocodile-infested marshes that surround his village. It's a book bursting with ideas about adolescence, free will and how we live in a world full of noise and intrusion. For the people in Todd's world, "the Noise" intrudes literally - as the result of a "germ", they can hear every thought, not only of each other but of animals and birds, too. Some of it is menacing, much of it banal. Todd can never escape the thoughts of others; nor, more dangerously, can he hide his own.</p><p>With one adult novel and a short-story collection behind him, Ness started The Knife of Never Letting Go with two ideas, one serious and one frivolous. The serious one was about information overload. "It's so loud," he complains. "We can't get away from emails, texts and the rest." The frivolous one came from his childhood dislike of stories about talking animals. To get his revenge - and after observing the way his cat only "talked" on the way to and from the litter tray - he was determined to write about a dog who only expresses itself in single words.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/27/booksforchildrenandteenagers">Continue reading...</a>Children and teenagersBooksCultureGuardian children's fiction prizeGuardian children's fiction prize 2008Patrick NessFri, 26 Sep 2008 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/27/booksforchildrenandteenagersJulia Eccleshare2008-09-26T23:01:00ZPatrick Ness responds to winning the Guardian children's fiction prizehttps://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2008/sep/25/childrens.book.prize
Patrick Ness on winning the Guardian children's fiction prize for The Knife of Letting Go <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2008/sep/25/childrens.book.prize">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Guardian children's fiction prizeBooksUK newsThu, 25 Sep 2008 07:41:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/audio/2008/sep/25/childrens.book.prizePhotograph: PRPhotograph: PRPatrick Ness2008-09-25T07:41:56ZSharp take on power of knives wins Guardian book prizehttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/25/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagers
<strong>&#183;</strong> Patrick Ness scoops &pound;1,500 children's fiction award<br /><strong>&#183;</strong> Judges describe novel as 'challenging but not bleak'<p>A novel for teenagers about a world where thoughts are audible has won this year's Guardian children's fiction prize. </p><p>Patrick Ness's The Knife of Letting Go traces the journey of 12-year-old Todd Hewitt after he is forced to flee the stifling male-only environs of the fantasy pioneer town Prentisstown, where the thoughts of each inhabitant, man and beast, are a never-ending swell of "Noise". </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/25/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagers">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008BooksGuardian children's fiction prizeChildren and teenagersAwards and prizesArts in schoolsSchoolsEducationPatrick NessWed, 24 Sep 2008 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/25/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagersAlison Flood2008-09-24T23:01:00ZA year of writing dangerouslyhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2008/sep/24/guardian.childrens.fiction.prize.patrick.ness.the.knife.of.never.letting.go.judges
The chair of this year's Guardian Children's Fiction prize reflects on the class of 2008<p>Patrick Ness's The Knife of Letting Go <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/24/guardian.childrens.fiction.prize.patrick.ness.the.knife.of.never.letting.go"> won the 2008 Guardian Children's Fiction prize</a> from a longlist which also included Anthony McGowan's The Knife That Killed Me. Unfazed by the message that those two titles might give out, the prize's judges, authors Mal Peet, Jenny Valentine and Mary Hoffman, showed no fears in keeping up with the way fiction reflects contemporary childhood. </p><p>In a sometime-in-the-future setting and a contemporary one, the effect of a knife - what it feels like to hold and the responsibilities and difficulties that brings - are coolly and intelligently faced. These are not books encouraging violence, nor is either an "issue" book. <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/sep/23/schools.guardianchildrensfictionprize2008">The panel of Young Critics appraising the nominated books</a> endorsed the adult judges' inclusion of them, specifically expressing their appreciation of the authors' understanding of the pressures on their lives. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2008/sep/24/guardian.childrens.fiction.prize.patrick.ness.the.knife.of.never.letting.go.judges">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Guardian children's fiction prizeChildren and teenagersWed, 24 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2008/sep/24/guardian.childrens.fiction.prize.patrick.ness.the.knife.of.never.letting.go.judgesGuardian Staff2008-09-24T19:00:00ZKnife novel wins Guardian children's fiction prizehttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/24/guardian.childrens.fiction.prize.patrick.ness.the.knife.of.never.letting.go
Patrick Ness takes award for 'challenging' novel The Knife of Never Letting Go<p>Patrick Ness's first novel for teenagers has won this year's Guardian children's fiction prize. Ness's The Knife of Never Letting Go, about a world where thoughts are audible, beat Jenny Downham's Before I Die, Frank Cottrell Boyce's Cosmic and Siobhan Dowd's Bog Child to take the £1,500 prize.</p><p>Chair of judges and Guardian children's books editor Julia Eccleshare said the panel of judges, made up of children's authors Mary Hoffman, Mal Peet and last year's winner Jenny Valentine, were blown away by the "breathtaking quality" of Ness's writing. "It's challenging but not bleak - an excitingly different book," she added.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/24/guardian.childrens.fiction.prize.patrick.ness.the.knife.of.never.letting.go">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Guardian children's fiction prizeChildren and teenagersBooksAwards and prizesCulturePatrick NessWed, 24 Sep 2008 19:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/24/guardian.childrens.fiction.prize.patrick.ness.the.knife.of.never.letting.goPhotograph: PR'This story felt like something that should be really shouted from the rooftops' ... Patrick NessPhotograph: PR'This story felt like something that should be really shouted from the rooftops' ... Patrick NessAlison Flood2008-09-24T19:00:00ZCaptivating and cosmic: Guardian Children's Fiction Prizehttps://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/sep/23/schools.guardianchildrensfictionprize2008
Young critics in the Guardian's annual competition enjoyed both gritty and fantastical stories<p>Two knife titles on one longlist might seem provocative in the current sensitive climate. But the young critics who reviewed the books in contention for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize were certainly not put off by the titles or contents.</p><p>"I think that knife crime is a good topic, as he is able to make people think about the consequences," Aashik Chhibber wrote, in his thoughtful review of Anthony McGowan's The Knife That Killed Me. He praised McGowan for being "really insightful into what it is like to be a teenager and the struggle many teens face, as well as some of the reasons they may carry knives". Rajesh Jethwa thought it "a brilliant book". He liked the humour of the story and the way McGowan described the knife as if "it were made inside a legend". He also thought "the end was a great feat of Mr McGowan's imagination".</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/sep/23/schools.guardianchildrensfictionprize2008">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Arts in schoolsGuardian children's fiction prizeChildren and teenagersEducationSchoolsBooksMon, 22 Sep 2008 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/education/2008/sep/23/schools.guardianchildrensfictionprize2008Photograph: Christopher Thomond/GuardianYoung critics at Westbourne school in Sheffield. Photograph: Christopher ThomondPhotograph: Christopher Thomond/GuardianYoung critics at Westbourne school in Sheffield. Photograph: Christopher ThomondJulia Eccleshare2008-09-22T23:01:00ZRead an extract from Frank Cottrell Boyce's Cosmichttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/06/childrensprize.cottrellboyce.extract
In this extract from Cosmic, Liam finds himself aboard Infinite Possibility, a space rocket hurtling far beyond the earth's orbit<p><em>A rocket, launched yesterday from a private site in northern China, is missing along with its crew of five. Yesterday the Internet was alive with rumours of a secret manned space mission. Today Nasa and the Russian Federal Space Agency both confirmed that a rocket did take off but denied it was theirs. The rocket entered high orbit and then disappeared into "deep space". No manned rocket has left Earth's orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.</em></p><p>Mum, Dad – if you're listening – you know I said I was going to the South Lakeland Outdoor Activity Centre with the school? To be completely honest, I'm not exactly in the Lake District. To be completely honest, I'm more sort of in space. I'm on this rocket, the Infinite Possibility. I'm about two hundred thousand miles above the surface of the Earth. I'm allright . . . ish. I know I've got some explaining to do. This is me doing it. I lied about my age. I sort of gave the impression I was about thirty. Obviously I'm more sort of thirteen-ish. On my next birthday. To be fair, everyone lies about their age. Adults pretend to be younger. Teenagers pretend to be older. Children wish they were grownups. Grownups wish they were children.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/06/childrensprize.cottrellboyce.extract">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Guardian children's fiction prizeBooksChildren and teenagersOriginal writingAwards and prizesCultureFrank Cottrell BoyceFri, 05 Sep 2008 23:08:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/06/childrensprize.cottrellboyce.extractFrank Cottrell Boyce2008-09-05T23:08:41ZRead and exract from Bog Child by Siobhan Downhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/05/bogchild.siobhandowd
When Fergus accompanies Uncle Tally across the border, he finds something that leads him to question his uncles loyalties<p><em>Ireland, near the north–south border, 1981</em></p><p>They'd stolen a march on the day. The sky was like dark glass, reluctant to let the light through. The only sound was the chudder of the van skirting the lough. The surface of the water was colourless. The hills slumped down on the far side like silhouettes of snoozing giants.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/05/bogchild.siobhandowd">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Guardian children's fiction prizeBooksChildren and teenagersAwards and prizesOriginal writingCultureFri, 05 Sep 2008 23:08:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/05/bogchild.siobhandowdSiobhan Down2008-09-05T23:08:41ZRead an extract from Before I Die by Jenny Downhamhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/05/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagers
Tessa has been living with leukemia for four years. In this extract, she prepares for one of the things she wants to do before she eventually dies<p>I wish I had a boyfriend. I wish he lived in the wardrobe on a coat hanger. Whenever I wanted, I could get him out and he'd look at me the way boys do in films, as if I'm beautiful. He wouldn't speak much, but he'd be breathing hard as he took off his leather jacket and unbuckled his jeans. He'd wear white pants and he'd be so gorgeous I'd almost faint. He'd take my clothes off too. He'd - whisper, "Tessa, I love you. I really bloody love you. You're beautiful" – exactly those words – as he undressed me.</p><p>I sit up and switch on the bedside light. There's a pen, but no paper, so on the wall behind me I write, I want to feel the weight of a boy on top of me. Then I lie back down and look out at the sky. It's gone a funny colour – red and charcoal all at once, like the day is bleeding out.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/05/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagers">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Guardian children's fiction prizeBooksChildren and teenagersAwards and prizesCultureOriginal writingFri, 05 Sep 2008 23:08:41 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/05/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagersJenny Downham2008-09-05T23:08:41ZRead an extract from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Nesshttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/06/childrensprize.patrickness
In this extract, Todd's dog Manchee learns to talk. Todd soon discovers there's one thing on his mind: 'poo'<p>The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say. </p><p>About anything. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/06/childrensprize.patrickness">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Guardian children's fiction prizeBooksChildren and teenagersAwards and prizesCultureOriginal writingPatrick NessFri, 05 Sep 2008 23:08:40 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/06/childrensprize.patricknessPatrick Ness2008-09-05T23:08:40ZGuardian children's fiction prize shortlisthttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/06/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagers
The four finalists in the Guardian children's fiction prize, which will be announced on September 24<p><strong>The story:</strong> Thirteen-year-old Liam wins a trip to the world's most exciting theme park in China, with one snag - he can only go if he pretends to be an adult and persuades one of his friends to go along as his child. Once there he discovers that Infinity Park isn't a theme park at all but a training site for the first children into space. Things rapidly get out of control and Liam winds up as the only "adult" on a spaceship with several kids relying on him to get them back down to Earth.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/06/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagers">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Guardian children's fiction prizeChildren and teenagersBooksCultureFri, 05 Sep 2008 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/06/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagersGuardian Staff2008-09-05T23:01:00ZExtract from Broken Soup by Jenny Valentinehttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/26/hayfestival2008.hayfestival1
Jenny Valentine won the Guardian children's fiction prize with her debut novel, Finding Violet Park. In this extract from her second, Broken Soup, 15-year-old Rowan comes across a mysterious photograph<p>It wasn't mine.</p><p>I didn't drop it, but the boy in the queue said I did.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/26/hayfestival2008.hayfestival1">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008BooksGuardian Hay festival 2008Hay festivalCultureGuardian children's fiction prizeOriginal writingFestivalsMon, 26 May 2008 11:39:29 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/26/hayfestival2008.hayfestival1Jenny Valentine2008-05-26T11:39:29ZThe longlist for the 2008 Guardian children's fiction prizehttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/24/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagers
Julia Eccleshare introduces the longlist for the 2008 Guardian children's fiction prize<p>Individual choice is a key issue in the seven books longlisted today for the 2008 Guardian children's fiction prize. Whether the setting is historical, futuristic or contemporary, these brave and ambitious books portray the journey from child to adult as a complicated, hazardous and unpredictable one. In doing so they encourage readers to wonder and to explore; above all, to think about the kinds of "selves" they may be or like to be.</p><p><strong>The longlist</strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/24/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagers">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008BooksGuardian children's fiction prizeChildren and teenagersCultureIrelandAwards and prizesEuropeFri, 23 May 2008 23:13:23 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/24/guardianchildrensfictionprize.booksforchildrenandteenagersJulia Eccleshare2008-05-23T23:13:23ZTeen novel up for Guardian book prizehttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/24/booksforchildrenandteenagers.hayfestival2008
<p>One of the publishing sensations of the last year became just a little more sensational when Jenny Downham was longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction prize for her first novel, Before I Die.</p><p>Downham, a 43-year-old former actor who lives in London, finished writing Before I Die on the last day of February 2007. Seven days later it was snapped up by publisher David Fickling, and by mid-March it had sold in 10 languages.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/24/booksforchildrenandteenagers.hayfestival2008">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008BooksChildren and teenagersGuardian Hay festival 2008Hay festivalUK newsCultureGuardian children's fiction prizeIrelandFestivalsEuropeFri, 23 May 2008 23:13:21 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/24/booksforchildrenandteenagers.hayfestival2008Claire Armitstead2008-05-23T23:13:21ZLonglist announced for Guardian Children's Fiction awardhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/23/guardianchildrensfictionprize
<a href="http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Books/documents/2008/05/21/YoungCriticsEntryform.pdf">Download a copy of the young critics entry form here</a><p>One of the publishing sensations of the last year becomes just a little more sensational tomorrow when Jenny Downham is shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction award for her first novel, Before I Die.</p><p>Downham, a 43-year-old former actress who lives in London, finished writing Before I Die on the last day of February 2007. Seven days later it was snapped up by publisher David Fickling, and by mid-March it had sold in 10 languages.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/23/guardianchildrensfictionprize">Continue reading...</a>Guardian children's fiction prize 2008Guardian children's fiction prizeBooksCultureAwards and prizesFri, 23 May 2008 15:40:24 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/23/guardianchildrensfictionprizeClaire Armitstead2008-05-23T15:40:24Z